Listen and Read
Introduction
Darren Hardy, American author and former publisher of Success Magazine, has stated two powerful quotes regarding becoming a person who gets what they want in life:
“You don’t get in life what you want; you get in life what YOU ARE!”
“‘It’ (health, marriage, money, career, etc.) is not the issue; YOU are. ‘It’ will only be as great as YOU are. If YOU work on ‘it,’ it will continue to elude YOU. If YOU work on YOU, ‘it’ will rise to the level of the new YOU.”
These two quotes provide a profound framework for understanding the journey to financial success.
In this post, we’ll explore how Hardy’s wisdom applies directly to building wealth. Financial success isn’t about focusing solely on external outcomes—like making more money or paying off debt—but on transforming yourself. When you focus on becoming a better version of yourself, everything in your life, including your finances, rises to meet your new standard.
Understanding the Quotes
Let’s break these quotes down. Darren Hardy’s words emphasize that who you are determines what you have. Many people think the key to success is working harder or wishing for more, but that’s not enough. Imagine trying to build a house with faulty tools. No matter how hard you work, the house will be flawed. Similarly, if you don’t improve who you are, your financial goals will remain out of reach.
Hardy also points out that external issues, like your finances, aren’t the real problem. The problem is how you’re approaching them. To see lasting improvement, you need to work on yourself. Once you grow, the results you’re chasing—whether it’s wealth, a successful career, or financial freedom—will naturally follow.
The Mindset Shift: Becoming Wealth-Oriented
To achieve financial success, you need to focus less on “fixing” your finances and more on transforming yourself. Here’s what that looks like:
1. Recognize You’re the Starting Point: Hardy’s quotes remind us that everything begins with you. If you want to be financially successful, ask yourself: What kind of person attracts wealth? Am I that person? Your current financial state is a reflection of your past actions, habits, and mindset. To change your results, you need to change yourself.
2. Commit to Personal Growth: Working on yourself is the foundation of all success. Read books, listen to podcasts, and surround yourself with people who inspire you to grow. The more you improve your skills, discipline, and financial literacy, the more opportunities will come your way.
3. Adopt a Growth Mindset: Hardy’s quotes are rooted in the idea of continuous improvement. Don’t settle for where you are today. Instead of saying, “I’ll never be able to save enough,” shift your perspective to, “What can I do to learn better money management skills?” A growth mindset opens the door to possibilities you’d never see otherwise.
Habits That Shape Financial Success
Once your mindset aligns with personal growth, the next step is adopting habits that reflect the new you. Habits are the bridge between who you are today and who you want to become.
1. Set Financial Goals Aligned with Your Identity: Decide who you want to become. Are you someone who is debt-free? An investor? A giver? Write down financial goals that align with your desired identity, such as saving a specific amount or building multiple streams of income. Goals give you clarity and direction.
2. Develop Disciplined Habits: Discipline is the key to success. Create and stick to a budget, track your spending, and prioritize saving and investing. Discipline isn’t about sacrifice; it’s about staying focused on what truly matters to you.
3. Invest in Yourself: The best investment you can make is in yourself. Whether it’s learning a high-demand skill, gaining financial education, or improving your emotional intelligence, personal development pays massive dividends.
4. Take Consistent Action: Your habits and mindset mean nothing without action. Start small if necessary, but make consistent progress. For example, if you want to start investing, open a brokerage account and begin with $50 a month. Over time, small actions compound into significant results.
5. Build a Positive Environment: Your environment plays a huge role in shaping who you are. Surround yourself with financially savvy people and create systems that support your growth, such as automating savings or reducing exposure to unnecessary temptations.
Becoming the Person Who Attracts Wealth
Darren Hardy’s insights highlight a crucial truth: You can’t achieve new levels of success without becoming a new version of yourself. Think of it this way: If you work on “fixing” your finances without addressing the underlying habits and mindset, you’re simply treating the symptoms, not the cause. But when you grow as a person, your finances naturally improve.
Here’s an example: Let’s say you want to earn more money. Instead of just focusing on getting a raise or finding a new job, focus on becoming someone who provides extraordinary value. Learn new skills, enhance your productivity, and become a problem-solver. As you level up, opportunities for higher income will appear.
Practical Steps to Start Today
Here’s how to align who you are with the financial success you desire:
Self-Reflection: Take an honest inventory of your habits, mindset, and environment. Are they supporting or sabotaging your goals?
Create a Growth Plan: Choose one area to work on, such as improving your financial literacy or building discipline.
Start Small: Focus on making small, consistent changes. For example, commit to saving 5% of your income each month.
Track Progress: Regularly evaluate how far you’ve come and celebrate your wins, no matter how small.
Stay Committed: Growth is a lifelong journey. Keep pushing yourself to improve, and remember that setbacks are part of the process.
Conclusion
Darren Hardy’s quotes remind us that financial success isn’t about fixing external problems. It’s about becoming a better version of yourself. When you focus on personal growth, everything else in your life—including your finances—will rise to meet your new standards. Start working on YOU today, and watch how “it” transforms as a result.
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